WV Graduates Equal Record High on ACT

August 18, 2000

West Virginia's 2000 graduates maintained their record-high composite score on the ACT, despite a higher percentage of students who took the nation’s college entrance exam.

According to information released today by American College Testing, Inc., slightly more than 60 percent of West Virginia’s 2000 graduates took the college entrance exam, compared to 58 percent in 1999. Graduates in the Mountain State scored a composite score of 20.2 during each of those two years -- the highest scores in the state’s history.

“We are encouraged by this strong performance by 2000 graduates,” said State Superintendent Dr. David Stewart. “As our students take more higher-level courses because of increased graduation requirements, we expect to see additional improvement in the coming years.”

West Virginia’s highest subject area score in 2000 was in reading with a 20.9, followed by science with a score of 20.4; English, 20.1; and math, 19.0.

“West Virginia’s scores in reading, English and math remained the same as in 1999, while science scores improved from 20.3 to 20.4,” explained Jan Barth, Executive Director,
Office of Student Services and Assessment, West Virginia Department of Education. “This is significant when one considers that two percent more of our students took this college entrance exam, yet scores remained the same or improved in each subject area tested.”